Smart tech for zero-waste exports — BIG interview with Tryfon Zmplouhos

Post-harvest loss isn’t just a technical flaw — it’s a business risk. And in an industry where a few degrees can make or break entire shipments, precision matters. ISO-Fruit doesn’t just consult on best practices — they redesign how exporters handle freshness. From real-time cooling strategies to movable technology that fits into existing infrastructure, the Greek company helps producers keep control of their produce long after it leaves the field. We sat down with Tryfon Zmplouhos, ISO Fruit’s technical inspector, to unpack the science, systems, and savings behind their success. 

Fructidor: Could you please tell us what ISO Fruit does? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: We support exporters and producers in managing their products after harvest. It’s not just consultation — we’re involved in the full process: planning, supply, installation of the appropriate equipment for the project and guidance on how to store and cool their produce correctly to avoid losses. 

Fructidor: What does proper storage actually involve? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: Take strawberries, for example. They’re harvested at around 5-40°C. To preserve quality, they must be cooled down between 3 - 7°C within 6-10 hours. If not, the fruit continues to "breathe" and rapidly loses shelf life. Properly handled, strawberries can last up to more than 10 days.  

Fructidor: What happens after that first cooling stage? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: After first cooling strawberries are packaged on flow pack then pre-cooled again down to 2°C using a dynamic pre-cooling system. This takes from 2 to 6 hours. From there, they go directly into refrigerated trucks — but we have always to remember, trucks can only maintain temperature, not reduce it. That’s why our dynamic pre-cooling is crucial. 

Fructidor: What kind of shelf life are we talking about with this protocol? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: With this method, strawberries are ready to travel the same day they’re harvested. They arrive at their destination with more than 10 days of market life, double what you'd get without proper handling. And most importantly, our clients avoid product claims from buyers. 

Fructidor: What equipment does ISO Fruit offer? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: All of our dynamic cooling and dynamic pre-cooling systems are globally patented. We offer full buildout of a stable pre-cooling or cooling system on a new cold room. If the client already has a cold room, we don’t replace it — we add movable systems that adapt to the existing setup. It’s cost-effective and performs almost like a full ISO Fruit buildout. 

Fructidor: How many companies are using your solutions? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos:  At the moment are over 350 happy clients — mostly in Greece, Cyprus, Georgia and Romania. We also have proposals from Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Egypt. 

Fructidor: Could you share a customer story that illustrates the value of your system? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: Sure. A Greek strawberry exporter once told us our system wasn’t worth the cost. So, we offered to build him one for free to be tested. The only condition was that he would pay us based on the complaints or quality claims he no longer received from his clients after using our system. Two months later, he called us to build five more. The numbers have spoken for themselves. And it’s not just about profits. The break point was happy customers asking for more products. At the present time he has 20 of our systems in use and he is very happy that he found us in his life, and he trusts us. 

Fructidor: Do you work with other fruits or vegetables? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: Yes, we have developed manuals in collaboration with certified organizations for all kinds of fruits and vegetables and in different ways of packaging. We follow detailed protocols that specify the required temperature, humidity, Ethylene and CO2 levels, and even proper airflow per product type. Each crop is a living organism and has different needs, and we respect that. 

Fructidor: Any closing thoughts? 

Tryfon Zmplouhos: Post-harvest work is a science. But it’s also a responsibility. The right system can maintain quality (appearance, texture and nutritive value), to protect food safety and to reduce losses between harvest and consumption's worth doing it right.

Interested in reducing post-harvest losses? Contact us today for a free consultation.